Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
The Quay County Commission on Monday unanimously approved a final budget that anticipates $13.47 million in spending in fiscal year 2019-2020.
That’s more than a 50 percent anticipated increase from the just-completed fiscal year in which county finance director Cheryl Simpson said the county spent $8.87 million.
Simpson said after the meeting the spending increase can be attributed to a state-approved remodeling and renovation project for the Quay County Detention Center plus large road-improvement projects also greenlighted by the state — Quay Road AR, Quay Road 63 and Quay Road AP.
Simpson said during the meeting she received final figures for cash balances, fire protection funds, law enforcement funds, debt service and emergency medical services for the final budget.
Commissioners approved a preliminary 2019-2020 budget — also totaling $13.47 million — during an earlier meeting.
Commissioners on Monday approved several resolutions from Simpson, including 2018-2019 budget transfers of road money after the county spent less money than anticipated, a fourth-quarter county financial report for 2018-2019 and a fourth-quarter distribution of $1,435 in DWI fund money.
County manager Richard Primrose said the DWI money was returned to the state’s Department of Finance and Administration, but he said that agency usually returns the money as a grant during the next fiscal year.
In other business:
• Commissioners discussed proposals by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to renovate or demolish the long closed Conchas Lodge on the south side of Conchas Lake, including the possibility of passing a joint resolution with neighboring San Miguel County urging preservation of the lodge.
Commissioner Sue Dowell, who has urged county residents on social media to ask the corps to preserve and reopen the lodge, said Conchas Lake is “important economically to us” in Quay County.
Those who wish to comment about the lodge should email the agency's Francisco Salazar at [email protected] or write a letter to: Francisco Salazar, Operations Support Branch, 4101 Jefferson Plaza NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109-3435. The deadline to send comments is Aug. 2.
• Commissioners approved a capital appropriation agreement for 2019-2020 to use $750,000 in state money to improve Quay Road 63 and Quay Road AP. Primrose requested the agreement after county road superintendent Larry Moore didn’t attend the meeting because he was signing a millings contract in San Jon that morning regarding a Quay Road 60 project.
• Commissioners passed a resolution to support of Farm Credit advocating for agricultural matters.